BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260616T104510EDT-5964981jig@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20260616T144510Z DESCRIPTION:\n\nAlireza Alavi\, a doctoral student at ɬŔď·¬ in the area of Operations Management will be presenting his research proposal entitled:\n\nBeyond the Trade-Off: Three Essays on Sustainability and Pro fitability in Fashion Operations\n\nThursday\, June 18\, 2026\, at 11:00 a m\n\nStudent Committee Co-chairs: Prof. Mehmet Gumus & Prof. Javad Nasiry \n\nPlease note that the presentation will be conducted in hybrid mode.\n \n\nABSTRACT\n\nFashion retail is under growing pressure to become both pr ofitable and sustainable\, yet these two objectives are rarely treated as compatible. This dissertation examines whether such compatibility is possi ble and how it can be operationalized across the social and environmental dimensions of fashion operations. Two essays focus on social sustainabilit y in apparel sizing\, while the third examines the environmental and socia l dimensions of the second-hand fashion market.\n\nThe first essay investi gates the root causes of size non-inclusivity in fashion retail. Despite r oughly 67% of American women wearing plus sizes\, most retailers offer lim ited or no extended-size options. Drawing on operational factors\, such as differential production costs\, and behavioral factors\, such as consumer sensitivity to price discrimination\, the essay develops an analytical mo del to uncover the mechanisms shaping fashion retailers’ sizing decisions\ , as well as their broader social implications.\n\nThe second essay takes a data-driven approach to size-inclusive assortment design. Using propriet ary sales data from a major European fashion retailer\, the study document s a recurring gap between pre-season inclusivity commitments and mid-seaso n assortment displays. We develop a static assortment optimization approac h that balances profitability and fairness\, demonstrating that size non-i nclusivity can be reduced by nearly 30% at the cost of a marginal revenue decline of approximately 1.5%\, offering retailers a concrete and economic ally viable pathway toward more socially responsible assortment management .\n\nThe third essay examines retailer-reseller partnerships in the second -hand fashion market. With an estimated market value of $250 billion in 20 25 and growing at nearly 2.7 times the pace of traditional retail\, the fa shion resale economy presents both a strategic opportunity and a competiti ve challenge for established brands. The essay develops an analytical fram ework to study the conditions under which store-in-store collaborations ar e mutually profitable\, while modelling the risk of cannibalizing primary sales and evaluating the broader environmental and social implications of such partnerships.\n\nTogether\, the three essays advance a multidimension al understanding of sustainability in fashion retail\, spanning social equ ity\, environmental responsibility\, and collaborative governance. By comb ining analytical modelling with empirical evidence\, the dissertation cont ributes both to theory and practice\, equipping managers and policymakers with tools to navigate the fashion industry’s sustainability transformatio n.\n DTSTART:20260618T150000Z DTEND:20260618T170000Z SUMMARY:PhD Research Proposal Presentation: Alireza Alavi URL:/dobson/channels/event/phd-research-proposal-prese ntation-alireza-alavi-373321 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR